


Reckless

by pakunoduh



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Dark Continent Arc, M/M, Spoilers, angst is my bread and butter guys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-16
Updated: 2018-03-16
Packaged: 2019-03-31 23:15:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13985370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pakunoduh/pseuds/pakunoduh
Summary: AU where Bill did call for a doctor when Kurapika fainted. And that doctor just happened to be Leorio.





	Reckless

When he had learned Kurapika had worked himself into unconsciousness, Leorio couldn’t say he wasn’t surprised. Disappointed, yes. Worried? Absolutely. But never surprised. 

 

So when he got pulled away from the child he was bandaging, gauze still halfway around the boy’s arm, his nostrils flared and he finished his job as soon as he could. A light pat and smile were thrown to the boy before Leorio stood on gangly legs and followed the guard. It took about three words before he bolted down the hallway, hard sole shoes slapping into the distance as he went. They, along with a long crash of a door slamming into a wall, announced Leorio’s arrival to the 14th Prince’s wing. 

 

“What happened?!” Leorio grabbed the nearest suit and dragged them to their feet, the smell of his sushi lunch wafting into their face.

 

“He collapsed. We’re not sure why.” A man Leorio would later find out was named Bill answered, unfazed by the gesture. The guard in his hands slowly raised his to those ruining his lapels. “Which is why I called for a doctor. Now, if you please.” He pried Leorio away and stepped back to his original spot, tidying his jacket as he went. 

 

“When you’re done checking over Kurapika, please look over the Queen as well.” His eyes darted to the large bed, Leorio’s following. A dark haired woman laid still among expensive sheets, her dark hair spilling across satin pillowcases. Leorio spotted the tired bags under her eyes and the notepad in her hands, but refrained from commenting. Bill turned away with a nod, his short stature leaving Leorio’s side with an echo of footsteps on hard stone. 

 

Leorio felt the tension bleed from his shoulder with each step carrying the Hunter away until they were near the floor in his exhaustion. The floor called for his collapse when he and Kurapika were finally alone, the constant running around to aid the general public’s ails and shadowing the Zodiac leaving the young man tired to his bones. 

 

Instead, he slunk towards the Kurapika’s prone form, pulling a pair of latex gloves from the pocket of his uniform as he did. At least he could be useful here he thought while lowering to his knees. He reached for Kurapika’s wrist and pushed back the fine suit to get his fingers to his vein. Leorio timed his pulse against the watch on his wrist, eyes transfixed on the ticking hands while he counted. It was normal. He then checked his breathing, applying different techniques and all coming to the same conclusion. Kurapika was fine. 

 

“Bullshit.” Leorio mumbled to himself and stood. There had to be something else going on. 

 

His inspection of the Queen led to similar results, all her vitals coming out stable as she remained unwakeable.  A scowl overtook Bill's face, the bags under his eyes more prominent as more wrinkles joined them in his displeasure. But he said nothing, only nodded with a ‘thank you for your time’.

 

“I’m staying.” Leorio shrugged off the arm of the man trying to escort him out, his shoulders squared. The tall man drew even taller as he glared at Bill, unflinching.

 

“We will call you if-”

 

“No.” Leorio interjected, voice clear. “I’m staying.” 

 

He took slow, measured steps towards the head guard, towering over him more and more with the shortening distance. “Kurapika is my friend.” Leorio’s eyes bore into Bill’s, a dull light flickering behind his pupils. “I won’t leave him.”

 

“Have it your way then.” Bill replied finally after an uncomfortable amount of eye contact. But Leorio refused to back down. He didn’t even blink until Bill turned away with a wave of his hand, the guards flanking the youth rescinding a step.

 

“Thank you.”

 

He soon worried his way around the bedroll, angry footsteps echoing through the large room. He decided to grab a chair instead of the floor, the wood squealing across the stone floor grating to his ears, but not enough to get him to properly pick it up. He plopped his long limbs into the chair, knees bent wide as he leaned over them, studying Kurapika’s face below. He really did look like he was just sleeping, the peaceful look on his face so different than the normal set of his brow Leorio had become accustomed to. Kurapika always knew how to take things too seriously. And too much. 

 

Leorio sighed, leaning back into the chair despite the wood’s groaning. He threw an arm over the back and splayed his other limbs until he got comfortable. He was going to be here for a while. 

\---

 

It took him about 4 hours to find out exactly what was up. Leorio had begun nodding off, the looks from the other guards in the large room finally fading out of his periphery as sleep claimed him. The idle chit chat he’d attempted to strike up to quell his nerves had quickly died with a dagger look from a nameless guard. But the fatigue from the voyage got to Leorio in the end and found him sinking further and further into the suddenly comfortable chair, long legs stretching to bump against Kurapika’s still foot. His hands dusted the floor, arms limp at his sides as a snore broke from his mouth, loud and rackous. 

 

Suddenly, a flurry of motion startled Leorio awake. Something collided with his foot and a startled yell sprung from his mouth as he did from his chair. He looked down to see an equally confused Kurapika making his way to his feet and a crouching Bill beside him. 

 

“9 hours?!”   
  


It felt liked it’d been years since he’d heard Kurapika’s voice, Leorio thought as his muscles relaxed. Kurapika’s eyes flicked in his direction briefly, but he didn’t address him. Leorio would have been hurt if not for wide panic in his friend’s eyes, the black contacts unable to quell the emotion behind them. 

 

A gasp from the bed caused all three hunters to turn. The Queen laid awake, eyes wide and unblinking at the fabrics draped across her bed. Leorio lunged towards her, clipping past the others to reach her. Gloved hands fluttered above her as Kurapika and Bill spoke in the background, their gaze boring into the medic’s back the whole time. He heard about every couple words, too busy making sure the Queen’s vitals were stable to pay attention.

 

“Sorry, ma’am.” Leorio said quietly, his fingers on her pulse. Oito blinked up at him, the dark circles under her eyes even more prevalent in her waking state. A rustle of fabric caught Leorio’s attention. He looked down to find the Queen’s arms positioned at her sides, hands swallowed by large sleeves as she readied herself to sit up. His hands fell away from her throat quickly, now hovering above her, a furrowed brow distorting his face. “Please, lie still.” He gently touched her chest to keep her down. “How are you feeling? Light headed? Trouble breathing? Anything out of the ordinary?” he asked softly, cataloguing the silence that fell behind him.

 

“None.” she replied just as quietly, focus flicking to the two hunters that stepped to flank him.

 

“Everything seems to be all right.” he spoke to the room, his back straightening from his hunch. A faint smile and small bow were given to the resting woman before he turned. His eyes found Kurapika’s and refused to let them go. “I would like to examine you now.”

 

“Later.” Kurapika dismissed him, trying to shift his focus back to the Queen, who Leorio deftly stood in front of, refusing to break their eye contact.

 

“No. Now.” Leorio walked briskly to Kurapika’s side and took hold of his bicep, a gentle but firm indicator to follow him.

 

Kurapika sighed through his nose but allowed Leorio to pull him away, exchanging a glance with Bill as he went. The tick of Bill’s eyebrow was all he got in response before he faced Leorio, who by now had pulled them into the corner. 

 

“What is going on?” Leorio hissed, his long fingers wedging their way onto Kurapika’s neck. His touch lacked the same gentleness the medic had had with the Queen, but Kurapika didn’t notice.

 

“Nothing serious.” Kurapika’s eyes strayed back to the Queen, Bill quietly speaking to her. The confusion doesn’t leave her face as she sat up, but he noticed a short nod. The small dolphin still hovered by her head, its eyes trained on Kurapika before his attention was pulled back.

 

“This is not ‘nothing’. They found you fainted on the ground, along with your Queen!”

 

“I didn’t anticipate that aspect.”

“Didn’t anticipate!?” Leorio’s voice rose along with his eyebrows, eyes blown wide at Kurapika’s passive expression. A blush touched his face and he leaned into the conversation, voice back to a whisper. “Kurapika, what are you doing here? Why are you fainting out of nowhere?” 

 

Kurapika finally met his gaze and Leorio noted the slight glow behind the black contacts. “You have people counting on you, you should go back to the lower tiers.” He tried to break away, his sleeve rubbing against Leorio’s arm.

 

“Kurapika.” Leorio called out, catching his wrist before he could get much farther. “If you keep pushing yourself like this, you won’t be the only one who’s hurt.”

 

Leorio watched Kurapika’s shoulders fall, the blond turning back to face him. A serious expression echoed the set of his eyes. “I have a new ability.” Kurapika spoke plainly. “I can keep Emperor Time up for 3 consistent hours before the strain becomes too much. Apparently.”

 

“And you fainted because you found your limit.” Leorio finished quietly, his grip laxing.

 

“It affects the person connected to Stealth Dolphin, it seems.”

 

“Which is the new ability?” 

 

“Yes. I can take someone’s nen ability temporarily and distribute it to myself or another person.”

 

“With limitations.”

 

“Yes.” Kurapika blinked, his lips set in a line.

 

“What are the other limitations, Kurapika?”

 

“Nothing important.”

 

“ _ Kurapika.” _

 

“Each second Emperor Time is active is another hour off my lifespan.”

 

A silence fell over the room. Leorio’s mouth hung agape before he could stop it, his eyes wide and blinking in disbelief.

 

“How long has it already taken?” he asked when he found his voice again, loud and angry. 

 

“Keep it down,” Kurapika chastised, eyes darting to the open frame into the Queen’s sleeping chambers. “People don’t know I’m here.”

 

“How long Kurapika?!” Leorio hunched quickly, hands roughly grabbing the smaller man’s arms and shaking him. Fear etched itself into his features, aging him in his grief. “How much have you already sacrificed for this!?”

 

“About 5 years.”

 

“Idiot!” Leorio released him, flinging himself away from the blond. His fingers balled into fists at his sides, shaking in anger and begging to connect with a wall or a face. He paced instead, his long gaits stomping back and forth in front of Kurapika as he fumed. Leorio finally rounded back to Kurapika, his fingers wide in the air. “Why would you make that kind of condition?” 

 

“It’s the only thing that would work.”

 

“There are other ways to get revenge!” 

 

“No, there aren’t.” Kurapika argued bluntly, fire sparking in his gaze. The glow of his Kurta eyes bled through the contacts, piercing into Leorio’s rage. 

 

“There are!” Leorio yelled back, his face flushed as breathing became harder. “If you would ask for help for once if your life instead of shouldering everything yourself, you wouldn’t have to do such  _ stupid things!” _

 

More silence.

 

“You may leave now, Leorio.” Kurapika’s voice was cold as he spun on his heels and marched away from the medic. 

 

“Oh no you don’t.” Leorio surged forward and reached for his friend again. His grip nearly found Kurapika’s arm before someone grabbed him instead. 

Leorio turned wildly, fist ready to fall on who intervened, only to find Bill standing at his side. His captured arm sat firm in the hunter’s grip, his flat eyes boring into Leorio’s. 

 

“Thank you for your service. I will escort you out.” He said bluntly, tone leaving no room for negotiation. 

 

A heavy groan vibrated through Leorio’s chest before his shoulders finally sank, defeat hitting him with a grumbled curse. He let Bill drag him to the private entrance to the wing, his footsteps clanking their way past the object of his ire as they did so. Tension steamed from Leorio’s posture, his chest broad and fists still clenched when he finally found the wooden door staring him in the face.

 

“I will watch over him.”

 

The voice startled some anger from Leorio’s shoulders. A blink, and he turned to the short man at his side.

 

“Excuse me?” 

 

“You’re right.” Bill looked through the corner of his eye to Leorio’s confused expression. “Kurapika doesn’t know how to take care of himself. I will make sure he does in your stead.” 

The rest of Leorio’s anger sagged from his body, a deep sigh following it from his lungs. It’d been a long couple days. A hand came up to rub his neck, the tension there starting to give him a headache. “Thank you.”

 

The door swung open and with another sigh, Leorio stepped through it. A wave got thrown over his shoulder as he began the trek down to the lower floors. He wasn’t convinced Kurapika would stop taking himself for granted, but the knowledge that someone would look out for him eased the wrinkles between Leorio’s brows. The sound of a heavy wooden down clicking closed chased him back to his duties as he begrudgingly left Kurapika to deal with his own.

**Author's Note:**

> I got commissioned by the lovely @crowfevers on tumblr to write a leopika fic of kurapika explaining the new emperor time shenanigans and boof this got longer than i planned 
> 
> this is my first hxh fic even though its my biggest love cause oof im a nervous bean
> 
> any critique or comments are appreciated !


End file.
